Homework Two: After Effects
The opening to this reading talks about the older uses of doing cinematography and the struggles an artist would go to to create a piece. The narrator describes it as a "cumbersome" process that takes a great deal of time and money. For one to work with these layered images and creative vises, access to the machinery was pivotal. It was not until the 1990s that this changed. For a millennial like myself, I view a lot of my world through a camera and spend lots of time working on ways to edit it in original ways. For people in the past, these types of filters and effects had to be totally original and created from scratch. Between 1993 and 1998 the world of cinematography changed a great deal.
If history of the modern world has told us anything is that once technology, no matter how basic it may be, is given to the public, people start to use it in ways never used before. The different creative and intuitive perspectives allows for fast improvement. This article starts to touch on the way changes in this world happen. Different doors open as time pass: Paintbox, Adobe, Photoshop, etc. that allow for wider range of people to have access to these tools.
After Effects is an application that is dominant of the time period being discussed in the reading. The reading explains the "motion graphics" that are created on this software as, "typically, motion graphics appear as parts of longer pieces: commercials, music videos, training videos, narrative and documentary films, interactive projects." This covers a wide range of footage we are exposed to in day to day life. While many different types of uses are explained, it is important to know what type of image(s) are being displayed. Live-action vs. typography is something that is used in a lot of media. This transition between moving and non-moving may be obvious or flow very well in the entire piece. It is ultimately up to the artist style and skill level that will be clear in the final product. Layers of 2-D images as well as moving footage is brought together to an original piece.
As a result from the Velvet Revolution and the material released in that time, different textures of film were released. Transparency is something that higher skilled artists were able to use as a tool of layering moving images as well as still ones. Of course, only so many images can be layered so this tool would limit an artist depending on how clear they want their work to be. Many other techniques were discover and used to create dynamic imagery but all have a maximum level of use, just like any other artistic application, before one's work is no longer clear.
Homework One: Bound By Law?
A thought that comes to mind when beginning this reading is when is it okay to use other people's material, footage, art, etc. in works of your own. The comic starts out with a documentary on New York and of course there are people who could be filmed/ documented, places, art and so much more. The question is what is copywriter and what is not? It's interesting because I have often wondered why in some reality television shows the people walking or eating in the background have their faces blurred out. Is this because the show has to protect privacy or is it because they don't have the right to put someone's face on television without permission? The comic talks about the different levels and terms of protection. Obviously if I am using an image of Spongebob Squarepants in my movie, I'm going to need to ask for permission. When I was younger, I would watch kids shows and all the products in the show would resemble real ones in life. For example, in Zoey 101, all their laptops have a pear on the front while apple computers were all the rage. This comic starts to explain why shows like that don't just use products seen in everyday life. If I made a collage for an art class and used pictures of popular perfume bottles or food products and presented it in class, there is a very small chance I'll be facing a lawsuit, however the comic does explain this issue as "blind man's bluff", meaning that art can really go either way and it is harder to identify what is considered right or wrong. The next topic the comic touched on was if someone filmed a scene of reality but there happens to be something with a copyright visible, whoever owns those rights has the right to money or worse. Even if the material was out of context or an accidental appearance, the creators and artists' work can be greatly effected. The entire time I am reading this I have been thinking about one show-- Family Guy on Fox name drops, uses theme songs, uses popular music, etc. Do they just make enough money off the show that they can pay those fees and keep the content? Learning that even if you pay copyright fees, you also need to pay to renew those licenses. If your piece of work is approved and a success but then the license expires, you need to figure out how to keep paying or else your work will stop circulating. Most reality TV shows now do a good job at hiding a lot of logos, brands, televisions, etc. If you turn on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, all the water bottles have the labels ripped off, the televisions are blurred and so are any other labels. After reading this comic I realize that when making some sort of documentary or footage in reality; you must be prepared to to hide copyrighted material.
While this sounds bad to many artists, it may be a blessing in disguise. In return, the art produced by anyone can be protected once released. It is wrong to take from other artists and not give credit where it is due so these laws are good and sometimes harmful but definitely necessary. Documentaries and reality footage is a small spectrum that may suffer from these rights. The laws are in place because so much is being produced and if you create something, you deserve to know who touches it. The comic explains it very well, everything today comes from something we have seen or done in the past. Inspiration is something we get from the world around us, therefore, someone having ownership over it would be harmful to the creative process.
After Effect Project:
Cinematography:
Photoshop Homework
Homework Two: After Effects
The opening to this reading talks about the older uses of doing cinematography and the struggles an artist would go to to create a piece. The narrator describes it as a "cumbersome" process that takes a great deal of time and money. For one to work with these layered images and creative vises, access to the machinery was pivotal. It was not until the 1990s that this changed. For a millennial like myself, I view a lot of my world through a camera and spend lots of time working on ways to edit it in original ways. For people in the past, these types of filters and effects had to be totally original and created from scratch. Between 1993 and 1998 the world of cinematography changed a great deal.
If history of the modern world has told us anything is that once technology, no matter how basic it may be, is given to the public, people start to use it in ways never used before. The different creative and intuitive perspectives allows for fast improvement. This article starts to touch on the way changes in this world happen. Different doors open as time pass: Paintbox, Adobe, Photoshop, etc. that allow for wider range of people to have access to these tools.
After Effects is an application that is dominant of the time period being discussed in the reading. The reading explains the "motion graphics" that are created on this software as, "typically, motion graphics appear as parts of longer pieces: commercials, music videos, training videos, narrative and documentary films, interactive projects." This covers a wide range of footage we are exposed to in day to day life. While many different types of uses are explained, it is important to know what type of image(s) are being displayed. Live-action vs. typography is something that is used in a lot of media. This transition between moving and non-moving may be obvious or flow very well in the entire piece. It is ultimately up to the artist style and skill level that will be clear in the final product. Layers of 2-D images as well as moving footage is brought together to an original piece.
As a result from the Velvet Revolution and the material released in that time, different textures of film were released. Transparency is something that higher skilled artists were able to use as a tool of layering moving images as well as still ones. Of course, only so many images can be layered so this tool would limit an artist depending on how clear they want their work to be. Many other techniques were discover and used to create dynamic imagery but all have a maximum level of use, just like any other artistic application, before one's work is no longer clear.
Homework One: Bound By Law?
A thought that comes to mind when beginning this reading is when is it okay to use other people's material, footage, art, etc. in works of your own. The comic starts out with a documentary on New York and of course there are people who could be filmed/ documented, places, art and so much more. The question is what is copywriter and what is not? It's interesting because I have often wondered why in some reality television shows the people walking or eating in the background have their faces blurred out. Is this because the show has to protect privacy or is it because they don't have the right to put someone's face on television without permission? The comic talks about the different levels and terms of protection. Obviously if I am using an image of Spongebob Squarepants in my movie, I'm going to need to ask for permission. When I was younger, I would watch kids shows and all the products in the show would resemble real ones in life. For example, in Zoey 101, all their laptops have a pear on the front while apple computers were all the rage. This comic starts to explain why shows like that don't just use products seen in everyday life. If I made a collage for an art class and used pictures of popular perfume bottles or food products and presented it in class, there is a very small chance I'll be facing a lawsuit, however the comic does explain this issue as "blind man's bluff", meaning that art can really go either way and it is harder to identify what is considered right or wrong. The next topic the comic touched on was if someone filmed a scene of reality but there happens to be something with a copyright visible, whoever owns those rights has the right to money or worse. Even if the material was out of context or an accidental appearance, the creators and artists' work can be greatly effected. The entire time I am reading this I have been thinking about one show-- Family Guy on Fox name drops, uses theme songs, uses popular music, etc. Do they just make enough money off the show that they can pay those fees and keep the content? Learning that even if you pay copyright fees, you also need to pay to renew those licenses. If your piece of work is approved and a success but then the license expires, you need to figure out how to keep paying or else your work will stop circulating. Most reality TV shows now do a good job at hiding a lot of logos, brands, televisions, etc. If you turn on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, all the water bottles have the labels ripped off, the televisions are blurred and so are any other labels. After reading this comic I realize that when making some sort of documentary or footage in reality; you must be prepared to to hide copyrighted material.
While this sounds bad to many artists, it may be a blessing in disguise. In return, the art produced by anyone can be protected once released. It is wrong to take from other artists and not give credit where it is due so these laws are good and sometimes harmful but definitely necessary. Documentaries and reality footage is a small spectrum that may suffer from these rights. The laws are in place because so much is being produced and if you create something, you deserve to know who touches it. The comic explains it very well, everything today comes from something we have seen or done in the past. Inspiration is something we get from the world around us, therefore, someone having ownership over it would be harmful to the creative process.
Class Exercise One: